★★★★★
Drawing inspiration from real events, The Big Day follows Debs (Eva Winton), Fiona (Sydney Mulligan), Grace (Megan O’Grady) and Kirsty (Hannah Fraser) from Bellshill who are at a free music festival held in Glasgow. Buzzing with excitement to watch Sheena, who attended the same high school as them, they elbow their way to the front of the stage. But when Sheena speaks in an American accent, they are outraged. In her anger, Fiona throws a glow stick, hitting Sheena in the eye and landing the group in a holding cell along with the mysterious Louise (Rebecca Munro). The close proximity forces the group to open up, and share their secrets with each other.
Milly Sweeney’s script is very well written, striking a good balance between being political while also hilarious. The friendship between the girls is clear, best demonstrated by the way they rally around and support each other during their trickiest times. The bond between Debs and Fiona is particularly strong, leaning more into a sisterly relationship. They continually bicker, which is clearly not uncommon for them judging by the lack of reaction from the other girls, but at the end of the day their love for each other is just as constant.
The show highlights the difficulties faced by young women growing up in Glasgow such as drug abuse, homelessness and lack of opportunities. These don’t come across preachy, but are seamlessly integrated into the script, providing more depth to the characters. Even Louise, who grew up in Mull and has come to Glasgow for university, faces problems—she is inappropriately touched by a stranger at the concert despite saying no when he tries to dance with her.
At first, the group, especially Fiona, struggle to warm to Louise. They had to leave school when they were 16 to earn money, going on to work in cafes, pubs and bookies. It’s an injustice that these bright, politically minded women didn’t get the opportunity to go into further education, especially Debs, who particularly wanted to. Quickly though, they bond with Louise over their love of music and she is soon included in the group (even if Fiona claims it is only because Glasgow would eat her up if she wasn’t under their wing).
The cast are all brilliant actors, and they slip into the roles seamlessly. Mulligan commands the stage, delivering the show’s funniest one-liners. She’s loud and brash, but has a heart of gold, apologising to Debs for giving her a hard time once she learns about her circumstances. Fraser finds the perfect balance between a grieving sister and a young woman wishing to bond with her friend, while Winton shows that although Debs’ personality differs, she still fits well into the group. Louise is a challenging character as she could easily be unlikeable and snobby, but Munroe plays her with ease. O’Grady must be equally commended for her portrayal of Grace. She’s a ditzy character, but is still extremely likeable, a feat that’s difficult to achieve.
Similar to the real Big Day, which raised awareness of homelessness and other social issues in Glasgow, Pure Class Theatre are raising money for Shelter as part of their Fringe show. It’s a touching tribute, and fits in very nicely with the premise of the play.
If you’re a fan of The Steamie, you must catch The Big Day at Edinburgh Fringe. It’s angry and political, but also heartfelt, hilarious and relatable. The cast and creative team put on a brilliant show, and are certainly ones to watch in the future.
The Big Day will be performed at theSpace on the Mile – Theatre 3 until 22 August (even dates only) as part of Edinburgh Fringe.
Words by Ellen Leslie
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